New Delhi, Aug 11 (PTI) In a strategically key move,
India has poured in more troops along the entire stretch of
its border with China in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the
face of heightened rhetoric by Beijing over the Dokalam
standoff, senior government officials said today.

The "caution level" among the troops has also been
raised, the officials told PTI.

The decision to increase the deployment along the nearly
1,400-km Sino-India border from Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh
was taken after carrying out a detailed analysis of the
situation and considering China's aggressive posturing against
India on Dokalam, the officials said.

"The troop level along the border with China in the
Sikkim and Arunachal sectors has been increased," said the
officials on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive
nature of the information.

The Army's Sukna-based 33 Corps as well as 3 and 4 corps
based in Arunachal and Assam are tasked to protect the
sensitive Sino-India border in the eastern theatre.

The officials declined to give any figure or percentage
of increased deployment, saying they cannot disclose
"operational details."

According to defence experts, roughly 45,000 troops
including personnel having completed the weather
acclimatisation process are normally kept ready along the
border at any given time, but not all are necessarily
deployed.

The soldiers, deployed over 9,000 feet, have to go
through a 14-day-long acclimatisation process.

The officials, however, said there is no enhancement of
troops at the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction in Dokalam where
around 350 army personnel are holding on to their position for
nearly eight weeks after stopping Chinese troops from
constructing a road on June 16.

Bhutan and China have competing claims over Dokalam, and
are negotiating a resolution.

China has been ramping up rhetoric against India over the
last few weeks, demanding immediate withdrawal of Indian
troops from Dokalam. The Chinese state media, particularly,
has carried a barrage of critical articles on the Dokalam
stand-off slamming India.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj recently said
both sides should first pull back their troops for any talks
to take place, and favoured a peaceful resolution of the
border standoff.

India also conveyed to the Chinese government that the
road construction would represent a significant change of
status quo with serious security implications for it.